Winning with Coworkers: The Boss’s Pet

So you have a coworker who always seems to be getting preferential treatment. Maybe he (she) is getting the best shifts, or the most interesting projects, or preferred vacation time, or maybe the boss just spends more time with them, or confides in him more. What’s going on?

The simplest answer is that there’s just a better connection between this coworker and the boss. Maybe they share similar values or hobbies. Perhaps they have the same kind of sense of humour. But chances are, there’s more to it, and to understand, it helps to crawl inside a boss’s brain and take a look at the types of things that they value in employees.

Here are the biggies:

TrustThere’s very little that’s more important to an employer than having an employee you know you can trust.

DependabilityHaving an employee you can always depend on is like gold for a boss. Knowing that you can give something to an employee and it’s going to get done without having to worry about it makes a boss’s life a whole lot easier.

AttitudeTrying to build and maintain a positive work environment is hard work and every boss likes an employee who comes in every day with a positive attitude.

Going above and beyondThat employee who’s willing to pitch in whenever he/she is needed and has the vision to contribute beyond the basic job description is an invaluable asset to a boss.

There’s a lot more of course, but these are the big ones. It’s easy to see how a boss would want to spend more time developing, nurturing, and helping an employee who are bringing these things to a workplace. The real questions you need to ask yourself when there’s a boss’s pet in the workplace, are “What is this person doing to warrant the special treatment?” and “Which of these things can I do to improve my relationship with my boss?”

Not coincidentally, these are the very same things that lead to promotions, pay raises and greater opportunities. Mys suggestion? Instead of looking at the boss’s pet as someone to become frustrated with or envious of, look at him as someone to learn from.

Like this:

Related

About The Author

Shaun Belding is a customer service expert, and author of five books on customer service, leadership and workplace success. As a keynote speaker (www.shaunbelding.com) on customer service, Shaun is known for his light-hearted, memorable style.
He leads The Belding Group of Companies, a global customer experience consultancy. Their training division, Belding Training, (www.beldingtraining.com) provides award-winning customer service training to companies around the world.